2

I had met Susie Lowell's fiancé, Dylan Jacobs, once before.

It was the second day after I returned to the Lowell family. As soon as he walked in, Susie Lowell threw herself into his arms, crying.

"Baby, what's wrong? Did someone hurt you?"

Susie Lowell just cried without saying a word, shaking her head nonstop.

It made Dylan Jacobs anxious to see her like that.

"Did that woman bully you? Heh. Some wretched girl from who-knows-where dares to compare herself to my Susie. She really has a death wish."

He shot me a furious glare, scowling as if I owed him millions.

Leaning against Dylan Jacobs's chest, Susie Lowell's lips curved into a smug smirk before she tugged on the corner of his sleeve.

"Don't say that. Claire is the real lady of this house. WAAAH..."

With that, she started feigning tears again.

The moment the family saw her crying, they all rushed over and started comforting her, all talking at once.

They repeatedly assured her that there was only one princess in this family: Susie Lowell.

I sat on the sofa, my face cold and my arms crossed, watching this whole family put on a play like I was a complete stranger.

Say what you will, but Susie Lowell was the best actress of the bunch. If she ever decided to enter show business, winning an Oscar for Best Actress would be no problem for her.

Susie Lowell basked in their coddling for a long time before she finally stopped crying.

Then she had the nerve to run up to me and grab my hand. "Claire, please don't steal Dylan from me," she said with false sincerity. "I love him so much. I can't live without him."

As she spoke, she gazed lovingly in Dylan Jacobs's direction.

Dylan Jacobs immediately looked back at her. "Baby, don't you worry. No one can replace you. No one."

He spat out the last two words through gritted teeth, glaring at me furiously.

Heh. Looking at his utterly average face made me feel as disgusted as if I'd swallowed a fly.

'Who gave him the audacity to think I'd be interested in him? He and Susie Lowell can be shackled to each other for life for all I care.'

On stage, Susie Lowell and Dylan Jacobs were now exchanging engagement rings.

Susie Lowell looked at the diamond ring on her finger, let out a gasp, and covered her mouth in feigned surprise.

"Thank you, darling. I love it."

The two of them embraced and kissed on stage, met by a wave of applause from the audience.

Chloe Lowell was clapping the loudest, as if she were trying to clap her hands raw.

"See that? Susie and Dylan are the real perfect couple. A true match of talent and beauty. Hmph. Not like some women, who are only fit to watch from the sidelines."

That passive-aggressive tone of hers made it sound like I'd come back to the Lowell family for one of two things: their money or Susie Lowell's man.

"Exactly. Some mutts just don't belong in the Lowell family."

Charles Lowell chimed in, standing off to the side.

"Heh. As if I'd want to be one of you Lowells."

I knew my sudden return to the Lowell family was hard for them to accept, so I had tolerated their initial rejection.

But I never expected them to dislike me this much.

To be honest, it's not like I insisted on showing up just to piss them off.

If my adoptive parents hadn't insisted I come, I wouldn't have even bothered to spare them a glance.

After saying that, I couldn't be bothered to waste another breath on them, nor did I want to witness another second of that shameless couple's fake affection on stage.

I turned and left.

:

3

My adoptive parents once told me that if I was ever unhappy with the Lowell Family, I should come home immediately. Our home would always be my safe harbor.

Before heading back, I decided to buy something for my adoptive parents along the way.

I went to the luxury boutique I usually frequented.

The moment I walked in, the store manager came hurrying over. "Ms. Lowell, it's been a while! We've just received some new arrivals. Let me show them to you."

I nodded. "Mm."

I was a regular here, and a VVIP client.

Usually, when the store got new products or limited-edition items, they would hold them internally for VVIP clients like me.

I sat down on the sofa as usual, and an employee immediately brought me the herbal tea I always drank, along with my favorite osmanthus cakes and rose pastries.

I took a sip of the tea as the employees came out with the new products.

They stood in a line for me to make my selection.

"These outfits are fresh off the runway, and these bags are all new models. Ms. Lowell, if you don't like any of these, we have other new arrivals as well."

I raised my hand and pointed to the outfits and a few bags.

"I'll take these. Just nothing too vibrant."

'My adoptive mother probably wouldn't like such bright colors.'

The manager immediately smiled and nodded. "Of course. We'll wrap them up for you right away. We also have a limited-edition bag, the only one in the world. Would you like to see it?"

I nodded, and the manager immediately scurried off with the staff to get busy.

I picked up my tea, about to take another sip.

A commotion erupted at the entrance.

"Where is everyone? Are you all dead? Get all your new products out here, now!"

The shouting sounded familiar. I followed the sound with my eyes.

Susie Lowell was clinging to Dylan Jacobs's arm, yelling from the entrance, her face a mask of pure arrogance.

The moment she looked up, she saw me sitting on the leather sofa.

Her expression instantly turned cold. Still holding Dylan Jacobs's arm, she stormed in my direction.

"Well, well, look who it is. Isn't it Claire?"

Her face was full of contempt, as if I had no right to be in a place like this.

Dylan Jacobs also chimed in sarcastically, "Heh, stores these days have no standards. They'll let just anyone in."

'I wasn't looking for trouble, but trouble came looking for me.'

Looking at the shameless pair standing before me, I scoffed.

"You don't own this store. If you can come in, why can't I?"

Dylan Jacobs reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed a trembling finger at my face. "You think someone like you can afford luxury goods?"

He sneered and said through gritted teeth, "Are you even worthy?"

"That's right, Claire. Look at the price tags in here. There's no way you can afford this stuff."

Susie Lowell's face was also full of ridicule, as if my presence in the same store was an insult to them.

Susie Lowell even sat down next to me pretentiously and patted my arm. "Claire, you shouldn't be so vain. You should leave."

I turned my head and gave a cold laugh.

"Heh. I suggest you get up. Not just anyone is qualified to sit here."

"If you're qualified to sit here, why aren't I?"

Susie Lowell crossed her arms, refusing to move from the sofa.

'Heh. The truth is, this leather sofa was custom-made for me and kept at the store for my use.'

'Whenever I come here to shop, the staff brings out this sofa for me to rest on.'

'Just the maintenance fee for this sofa alone costs me 2 million a year.'

'Honestly, besides me, no one is qualified to sit on this sofa.'

: Financial Freedom

4

Susie Lowell ran her hand over the genuine leather sofa again and again, all while taunting me.

"Claire Lowell, you're so lucky today. If it weren't for me, you'd never get to enjoy such a nice sofa in a store like this."

'She had to be joking.'

"Oh?" I grunted, looking at Susie Lowell in amusement.

"My Dylan is a regular here, you know. He spends hundreds of thousands a year in this store."

"Heh, what a huge amount. You're scaring me to death."

I patted my chest in mock fear.

'If I told her I spend ten million a year in this store, I wonder if she'd faint from shock.'

"Susie, a woman like her could never afford anything in here."

Hearing Dylan Jacobs say that about me, Susie Lowell's face lit up with glee.

She waved a hand in the air. "Oh, now, don't say that. Everyone's a little vain."

'This despicable pair was deliberately trying to ruin my mood.'

'If I wanted to have any appetite for my adoptive mother's cooking tonight, I had to get away from them.'

I stood up and walked toward the entrance.

Just then, the store manager came out, holding the limited-edition handbag.

She held the bag up for me. "Ms. Lowell, would you still like this one?"

I glanced at the style. It was one I liked. Without even looking at the price, I nodded. "Wrap it up. And the other ones from before, too. Send them to the usual place."

"Of course. I'll place the order for you right away. Will you be paying by card as usual?"

I gave a calm nod. "By card."

The truth is, I achieved financial freedom long ago.

After studying abroad, I started my own design company.

I have a real talent for it, and my designs are very popular. Within a few years, I'd earned more money than I could ever spend.

I wanted to show my gratitude to my adoptive parents, so I started sending my adoptive mother a sum of money every month.

But who would have thought? As soon as I sent it, my adoptive mother would send double the amount right back.

She'd say, "I know you're a good daughter, but Mom has more money than she can spend, too."

That's right. My adoptive parents have enough money to last ten lifetimes.

When I was little, my adoptive parents weren't actually very wealthy. They ran a small business, but because they were so honest, people were always taking advantage of them.

Later, after I came along, their business gradually started to pick up.

People who did business with them came to like working with them because of their integrity.

My adoptive parents' business grew larger and larger. By the time I grew up, their business empire had expanded overseas.

My adoptive father often praised me, calling me his little lucky star.

He said my arrival was what brought their family so much fortune and prosperity.

When I returned to the Lowell family, my adoptive mother cried for three whole days. Before I left, she held my hand and told me, "Claire, you're just going back to visit. If they don't treat you well, you come right back home to me."

And just as she feared, the Lowells not only treated me poorly, but they were also full of hostility.

The store manager turned her head and saw Susie Lowell sitting on my sofa.

Her jaw dropped, and she rushed over in just a few steps.

"Ma'am, please get up. This is a designated seating area."

Susie Lowell froze for a second, then immediately cried out in displeasure.

"She can sit there, so why can't I?"

she yelled, pointing in my direction.